Multiplate drive-chain.



F. MORSE, MULTBPLATE DHWE CMJN. Mmmm@ man um. i5, me.

adapted to extend into opf rings formed 1n an er serein ep een.

Brosse CHAIN COMPANY, or

ITHACA, NEW YORK, .e conronarron ornnwronn;

Munrrrna'rn nnrvncnnm.

Specification of Letters Patent.

)Patented May d, i915.

Application tiled December 15, 1808. Serial No. 467,617.

To all 'ui/0m it may concern.'

Be it known that l, FRANK L. MORSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ithaca., in the county of Tompkins and State of N ew York, have invented new and nseful Improvements in Multiplate Drive-Chains, of which the following is a specification.

'This invention relates to drive chains for power transmission, and more particularly to the type of chain in which the links are Composed of a plurality of plates adapted .to` arch over the sprocket teeth, the chain links being joined by pintles, with the plates forming one link interspersed with the plates of Vthe adjacent link.

One of the objects of myinvention is to provide improved means for guiding 'the drive chain upon the sprocket wheel and this feature ofmy improvement consists in providing projections onvthe wheel which are the chain and thereby vQprevent lateral displacement of the chain on the sprocket wheel.

Another object of my invention relating to the chain-guiding fineans contemplates extending the guiding projections up into openings between the pintles so that the guiding action is always effective regardless of the relative position `of the chain on the wheel.

As heretofore constructed, the plates forming the chain links are held in position by the t*"pintles, a slight looseness ofthe plates being permitted laterally, so as to prevent friction between the plates and consequent stiiness of the joints.' It has been found that4 this slight movement of the plates independently of each. other sometimes causes the plates to wear' and permits the pintles or pins to work laterally and thereby interfere with of the chain.

Another object of my improvement relates to means for overcoming this objectionable feature in multi-plate chains and for this purpose l propose to rigidly secure the plates of a number or all of the links together with spacing pieces or washers interposed between the plates of the links, so as to provide openings for the plates of the adjacent link, thus while permitting free movement between interspersed plates of adjoiningA links, the plates are rigidly secured together and irregular niovements 'of the proper operation la link;

the plates tending to cause relative lateral movementbetween the pintles and plates is prevented. l

Still another feature of my invention consists in the construction of rigid chain links with spacing pieces or washers interposed between the plates of a link at the middle or arch portion. a In the accompanying drawings; Figure l 1s a side elevation ot a portion of drive cham mounted upon sprocket wheels, showing one form of my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 a perspective view ofa few links of a chain with every alternate link provided with spacing pieces and rigidly fastened together; same; Fig. e a perspective View of chain links in which each link is made rigid and provided with spacing pieces; Fig. 5 a top plan view thereof; F ig. 6 a transverse seetion taken on the line a-al,v of F ign 1; Fig. 7 a perspective view of one of theplates of Fig. 8 a similar view 0fl one ofthe spacing pieces or Washers; Fig. 9 a perspective view of a rivet for rigidly securing'the parts of the link together; Fig. 10 a pei-, spective view of a portion oi drive chain Fig. 3 a top plan view of .modified form of my improvements, in

which the spacing pieces are mounted on the pintles,V the sprocket wheel and certain of f the link plates partly cut away; and Fig. ll a top plan view of a few links of the chain shown in Fig. l0.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the construction comprises sprocket wheels l and 2 on which is carried a portion of drive chain composed of plates adapted to arch over the teeth of the sprocketiwheels, the plates of one linkbeing interspersed upon the pintles 4f with the plates of the adjacent link. For guiding the chain to prevent lateral displacenient, the' sprocket wheel 2 is constructed with a circular groove or recess in which .t guiding 'ringer liange 5 is inserted, and the ring. may be madevin two sections and secured in position by rivets the sections of the plates being joined by a key piece as shown in Fig. l, or in-other suitable manner. The ring 5 extends outwardly to form projections intern'iediatc the sprocket teeth and tlidse projections have semi-circnlar grooves 8 to provide a clearance space for the pintlesof the chain. Ey thus providing will be seen that tooth like projections of the guiding ring are formed which may extend up between the pintles, preferably to or slightly above the outer periphery of the sprocket wheeh rlhis feature is important in that the guiding of the chain is assured regardless of the position radially of the chain on the wheel.

' In order to provide openings in the chain for receiving the projections of the ring 5, the ciiain may be constructed as shown in Figs. Ll and 5, in which spacing pieces or washers@ 'are inserted between plates of the linkl at the middle or arch portion of the plates. The opening formed in the chain by inserting the spacing pieces may be equal in width to one or more link plates accordingto the thickness of.` guiding ring which is employed; as shown in the drawing a. con tinuous space is provided the width of plate which necessarily requires every other link to have a spacing piece or pieces of suitable thickness to permit articulation of plates of the adjacent links. It will thus be seen that the drive chain in passing over the sprocket wheel is prevented from moving laterally'by the engagement of the guiding ring inthe openings in the chain; and

while a guiding ring may be applied to both sprocket wheels, only one wheel aieed be so equipped, and furthermore there is a decided advantage in guiding on only one wheel, as the chain can then adjust itself on the free wheel to compensate for inaccuracies in alinement and other causes tending to impose undue strains on the chain.

The spacing of the link plates to form an opening or groove in the chain for the guidingring may be accomplished in various ways, other than that illustrated in Figs. l to 6 inclusive. For instance, as shown in Figs. l0 and 1l, spacing pieces or washers l0 may be mounted on the pintles between two adjacentlink plates of one link, said link plates beingin turn disposed between two adjacent link plates of the adjoining` l provide a rigid link by inserting spacing piecesor washers 9 between the link plates at the arch over portion of the links, and according to one construction, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, one link is built up of alter nate plates 3 and spacing pieces 9, preferably of the shape shown in Fig. 8, and held together' by flat rivets 1l, such as shown in detail in F ig. 9, this form of rivet being preferable, as the plates are thereby held more securely in alinement and are not materially weakened. The links' adjacent to the rigid links may consist merely of link i'plates without any spacing pieces, the links having the outside plates being preferablyV the rigid links, as there is more of a tendency for the working of the outside plates to cause the objectionable lateral movement masses of the pintles. With this construction lthe spacing pieces may be slightly thicker than the plates of the free link, so as to preventany possible binding between the plates lat-l erally. f

ln the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 every link is of the rigid type, the spacing pieces being alternated with link plates and riveted together as in the other construction. ln this construction the spacing pieces are furthermore so arranged as to provide a channel for the guiding ring ot the sprocket wheel as hereinbeiore described. u lt will he evident that the guiding projections may be formed integrally with the sprocket whel or in any other manner as jecting between the sprocket teeth and eX- tending into said openings between the link plates.

2. A drive chain 'comprising links formed of a plurality of plates adapted to arch overthe sprocket teeth, pintles for 'oining said links, the plates of one link eing interspersed with the plates of the adjacent link, and spacing pieces in lieu of one or'more link plates, interposed between plates of the links to form a guide opening between the plates at the pintles.

3. ln a chain drive, the combination with a chain formed of arch-shaped links, and

. pintles joining the ends of the links, said links having radial openings at their ends around said pintles, of a sprocket Wheel having a projecting guide provided with notches between the sprocket teeth and eirtending into said openings` around the pintles.

4. In a chain drive, the combination with a chain having links formed of a plurality of plates adapted to arch over the sprocket teeth, pintles joining said links, and spacing pieces between adjacent link plates to prof i vide openings through the chain at the pintles, ot a sprocket wheel having a projecting guide ring provided with notches be tween the sprocket teeth and extending in@ said openings around the pintles.

5. A drive chain having links composed of a plurality of outside and intermediate plates adapted to arch over the sprocket teeth, the plates of one link being interspersed with the plates oi the adjacent link, spacing pieces interposed between the plates of said links, and means for rigidly tastenn ioo i.

iep

meente ing said plates and spacing pieces of reach link together.

6. A-drive chain having links composed of a plurality of outside and intermediate plates adapted to arch over the sprocket teeth, the plates of one link being interspersed with the plates of the adjacent link, spacing pieces interposed between the plates at the middle portion of said links, and means for rigidly fastening said plates and spacing pieces of each link together.

, 7. A drive chain having links composed of a plurality of outside and intermediate plates adapted to arch over the sprocket teeth, the plates of one link being interspersed with the plates of the adjacent link,

- spacing pieces interposed between the plates of said links carrying the outside plates,

and means for rigidly securing said plates and spacing pieces together. 8. A drive chain having links composed of a plurality of outside and intermediate plates adapted to arch over the sprocket teeth, the plates of one link being inter spersed with the plates of the adjacent link, spacing pieces interposed between the plates ot' alternate links of the chain, and means for rigidly fastening said plates and spacing pieces together.

9. n a'chain drive, the combination with a chain having links composed of a plurality of plates, the plates being spaced lapart to form an opening in the chain, pintles joinlng the links, and a sprocket Wheel provided with teeth and having a guiding projeotion extending ont between the pint-les of the chain.

l0. A drivechain having links composed of a plurality of plates, the plates oi' adja cent links being interspersed. upon the pintles, spacing pieces interposed between the plates of a link for toi-ming an opening' in the chain, and means for rigidly fastening said plates and spacing pieces.

l1. ln a drive chain, the combination with a chain having links composed ot a plurality ln testimony 'whereof l have hereunto set my hand.`

FRANK L. MORSE.

`i'lifitnesses WM. M. Cons, A. M.j Ctnnnnfrs., 

